Eagles 'been looking' for Sanders

Eagles GM Howie Roseman said during a Saturday press conference, "We've been looking for a runner like Miles for a few years," according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. It was obvious that Philly liked Sanders when the franchise selected him in Round 2. These words from Roseman, however, could point to the new guy having a bigger workload share ahead of him than other RBs in the Doug Pederson era. Pederson's Eagles have run with a true committee. Amid personnel shuffling and injuries, no RB has reached a 37% share of team carries in any of his 3 seasons. Philly just traded for Jordan Howard this offseason, of course, but gave up a mere 6th-round pick for a RB in the final year of his rookie contract. Josh Adams, Wendell Smallwood, Corey Clement and Darren Sproles remain from last year's squad, but only Adams has reached 100 carries under Pederson and none has topped 120. Adams is also coming off shoulder surgery. None of those players looks like a big threat to Sanders' touch outlook. We wouldn't bet on workhorse touches for the rookie, but Sanders might just be the best bet to lead the backfield in opportunities right away.

According to multiple reports, RB Miles Sanders has agreed to a contract with the Panthers. This move makes a ton of sense for many reasons. New Panthers HC Frank Reich is likely to operate a similar offense to the one Sanders played in with the Eagles, given that their HC Nick Sirianni served as Reich's OC with the Colts from 2018 to 2020. Though Sanders set career-high marks in touches (279), rushing yards (1,269), and TDs (11) in 2022, he failed to play more than 40% of the Eagles' offensive snaps in every game after Week 16 through the Super Bowl. In an offense devoid of major talent, Sanders will have an opportunity to thrive in what should be a comparable scheme to the one in Philadelphia. Plus, without a major rushing threat at QB like Jalen Hurts as of now, we may see Sanders return to form as a pass-catcher. He totaled 78 receptions across his first pair of seasons in the NFL, but only 46 between 2021 and 2022. We're looking at a solid opportunity for a quality RB2-type season from Sanders if the Panthers don't add too much more around him.

UPDATE: Sanders' contract is reportedly a four-year deal, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Certainly no small investment here.

Eagles RB Miles Sanders tallied 11 carries for 42 yards and 2 TDs in Sunday's NFC Championship win vs. the 49ers. Teammate Kenneth Gainwell led the team with 48 rushing yards. Sanders, QB Jalen Hurts, and RB Boston Scott combined for 4 rushing TDs in a game against a 49ers' defense that ranked as the single-toughest matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs. Eagles OC Shane Steichen and company deserve a great deal of credit for this momentous victory. The Eagles will now be preparing to face the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.

Eagles RB Miles Sanders (knee) practiced fully on Friday and doesn't carry an injury tag ahead of Week 18 vs. the Giants. The soon-to-be free agent has struggled significantly over the last 3 weeks, but this upcoming matchup presents a good "get right" opportunity. Though the Giants' defense ranks 3rd-best in Football Outsiders' run defense DVOA over the last 4 weeks, Sanders torched them for 144 yards and 2 TDs in Week 14. Consider Sanders a low-end RB1 in Week 18.

Eagles RB Miles Sanders (knee) practiced in a limited capacity again on Thursday. We'll see if the veteran is able to log a full practice tomorrow. Stay tuned for news regarding Sanders' status for Week 18 vs. the Giants.

Eagles RB Miles Sanders (knee) was a limited practice participant on Wednesday. With Week 18's game vs. the Giants still several days away, there's plenty of time for Sanders to ramp up activity. We'll track his practice status in anticipation of Sunday's contest.